Various data processing systems have been developed including storage systems, cellular telephone systems, and radio transmission systems. In such systems data is transferred from a sender to a receiver via some medium. For example, in a storage system, data is sent from a sender (i.e., a write function) to a receiver (i.e., a read function) via a storage medium. As information is stored and transmitted in the form of digital data, errors are introduced that, if not corrected, can corrupt the data and render the information unusable. The effectiveness of any transfer is impacted by any losses in data caused by various factors. Errors can be detected and corrected in a read channel. When errors are not corrected with normal error correction procedures, retry features may be needed to correct stubborn errors. Some retry features involve combining multiple versions of the same digital data. However, the multiple versions must be aligned before combining, and if markers in the digital data are distorted or otherwise unavailable, the multiple versions cannot be aligned based on the markers.